Autistic boy's chickens found dead

Sunday

Oct 14, 2012 at 12:01 AM

Four chickens kept as pets by the family of an autistic DeBary boy were found beheaded Saturday morning, according to a Volusia deputy's report.

KATIE KUSTURASTAFF WRITER

DEBARY — Four chickens a family kept as “therapy” pets for their autistic son were found beheaded Saturday morning, according to a Volusia County deputy's report. Ashleigh Hart called the sheriff's office after her husband, Joseph, discovered the dead chickens — two hens and two juvenile chickens — when he went out to feed them about 9 a.m., according to the preliminary report. Ashleigh Hart said the responding deputy told her the heads were cut clean off, and it did not appear to be an animal attack. “I would much rather it have been an animal attack, though I know whoever did this is an animal,” Ashleigh Hart said Saturday night. The death of the chickens, including 2-year-old J.J. Hart's favorite one, comes just three days after the Hart family got a 60-day reprieve from the city's code enforcement board. The family had been cited by the city because the chickens are not allowed under DeBary's codes. The reprieve delays the potential $100-per-day fine under the current law. A story on the family's battle with the city ran on the front page of The News-Journal on Thursday. J.J., who has autism spectrum disorder, is the primary reason the board offered a reprieve. The boy has been attached to the chickens ever since his family got them earlier this year, and he opens up and talks when he's around them, his mother said. Ashleigh Hart told the deputy she secured the chickens in their backyard coop about 10 p.m. Friday, the deputy reported. Hart said she went to bed a few hours later and did not hear anything unusual during the night. She said the family's dog usually barks when there are noises outside. Joseph Hart said there were two bricks and a piece of wood blocking the entrance Saturday morning, which Ashleigh Hart said were not there the night before, according to the report. Ashleigh Hart told the deputy she's had no problems with neighbors or been threatened. J.J. hadn't seen what he calls his "ducks" all day Saturday, and when Joseph Hart brought the surviving juvenile out for him to hold, J.J. was all smiles and mimicked the chicken's sounds. When the chicken was put away for the night, J.J. began to cry. The deputy saw no forced entry or damage to the backyard coop and could not find all the heads but did observe what looked like teeth marks on two chickens, the report stated. Ashleigh Hart said whoever killed the others also tried to kill the silky rooster after they observed cuts on his neck. “We don't know if he's going to make it through the night,” she said. The family has created a Facebook page called SAVE JJ HART's "Ducks" in an effort to gain support from the community.